This specification relates to data communications. Service providers utilize distributed networks to provide services to customers over large geographic areas. For example, communications companies utilize a distributed communications network to provide communications services to customers. Similarly, power companies utilize a network of power lines and meters to provide power to customers throughout a geographic region and receive data back about the power usage.
These service providers are dependent on proper operation of their respective networks to deliver services to the customers and receive data back regarding the services provided. For example, the service provider may want access to daily usage reports to efficiently bill their customers for the resources that are consumed or otherwise utilized by the customers. Therefore, it is important for data specifying resource utilization and other information to be reliably transmitted and/or received at specified intervals.
In power line communication (PLC) networks, end points in the network (e.g., meters, load control switches, remote service switches, and other endpoints) can provide updated information (e.g., power consumption information and/or end point operating status information) by transmitting data over power lines. Generally, each end point is paired with a specific substation processing unit and communicates with the substation processing unit over a designated channel. However, electrical and physical characteristics of a power line communications network vary over time, such that the reliability of data transmission between an end point substation processing unit pair can also vary over time.
For example, a portion of the network may be disabled to perform maintenance or in response to a critical event (e.g., widespread power outage). The time during which that portion of the network is disabled, data will not be transmitted through the disabled portion of the network. The unavailability of the disabled portion of the network can cause problems for service providers because relatively short communications outages (e.g., 40 minutes) can result in loss of data for an entire day. If data can be dynamically routed through multiple available substation processing units, an alternative transmission path can be used when communications through a portion of the network the characteristics of the channels change over time.